Zion
Zion National Park. To name a place after the heavenly city or kingdom of heaven could be thought as a stretch of the imagination. Yet all of nature is part of the universe, the infinite. If the earth is part of the universe, then "thy kingdom come on earth as it is heaven" would have temples to allows us a glimpse of what is in the firmament.
Filled with human travelers, Zion takes an act of faith to look beyond the crowds, to put yourself in a place to reflect, to be awed by nature. To explore beyond the bus lines and paved paths. To view and share the grandeur of Zion with the humanity around you, instead of succumbing to the bustle around you.
It is with this attitude that one looks to see the essence of Zion. A place hewn out of the solid blocks of ancient shores; cliffs cut to create hallowed landscapes. To let the imagination of the mind, find solitude. To look beyond the busyness and activity of our fellow travelers and to visualize. To discover the wilderness and step into a world of giant ramparts, towering cliffs, the earths paleo history cast amongst the layers to record the eons that came before us. The still camera has no sound, its aim can avoid the intrusion - the mind must learn from this and then see only that which nature put there.
It is a place that teaches us patience. To look up and slowly block out the crowd sounds, to feel the sensation only of the thousand-foot drop of the waterfall at the temple of Sinawava. To feel the sun on the mountains that makes no sound, the quiet drumming of rain that mutes the voices below. To see rock hues that emit only the wavelength of red, orange and ochre or the visual silent wild cyan blues and brilliant color of the wild turkey. Slowly removing yourself by walking beyond the traveled paths until there is no one. Then one begins to see what envelops your being. The Patriarchs, named for the biblical prophets Abraham, Jacob and Isaac and their stoic quiet wisdom. The golden throne. You see where angels were meant to land. The distant birdsongs, the turkey vultures black against the background. The silent flowers flourishing at your feet.
John Wesley Powell the first head of the US geological Survey, named the area Mukuntuweap, a Pauite name. Several translations exist, among them is "the place where the Great Spirit dwells" (Source NPCA.org). Zion or Mukuntuweap is a dwelling place for the spirit, a temple in nature.
Read MoreFilled with human travelers, Zion takes an act of faith to look beyond the crowds, to put yourself in a place to reflect, to be awed by nature. To explore beyond the bus lines and paved paths. To view and share the grandeur of Zion with the humanity around you, instead of succumbing to the bustle around you.
It is with this attitude that one looks to see the essence of Zion. A place hewn out of the solid blocks of ancient shores; cliffs cut to create hallowed landscapes. To let the imagination of the mind, find solitude. To look beyond the busyness and activity of our fellow travelers and to visualize. To discover the wilderness and step into a world of giant ramparts, towering cliffs, the earths paleo history cast amongst the layers to record the eons that came before us. The still camera has no sound, its aim can avoid the intrusion - the mind must learn from this and then see only that which nature put there.
It is a place that teaches us patience. To look up and slowly block out the crowd sounds, to feel the sensation only of the thousand-foot drop of the waterfall at the temple of Sinawava. To feel the sun on the mountains that makes no sound, the quiet drumming of rain that mutes the voices below. To see rock hues that emit only the wavelength of red, orange and ochre or the visual silent wild cyan blues and brilliant color of the wild turkey. Slowly removing yourself by walking beyond the traveled paths until there is no one. Then one begins to see what envelops your being. The Patriarchs, named for the biblical prophets Abraham, Jacob and Isaac and their stoic quiet wisdom. The golden throne. You see where angels were meant to land. The distant birdsongs, the turkey vultures black against the background. The silent flowers flourishing at your feet.
John Wesley Powell the first head of the US geological Survey, named the area Mukuntuweap, a Pauite name. Several translations exist, among them is "the place where the Great Spirit dwells" (Source NPCA.org). Zion or Mukuntuweap is a dwelling place for the spirit, a temple in nature.
